We had a wonderful Christmas, for the first time we spent the morning at home. The kids came down to find stockings full and the tree surrounded by presents. They each received a Rufus doll, that Tory and her mom had spent the last three days designing, sewing, and stuffing. Tory went out to feed the chickens and found a Christmas surprise - a gold and cloissene egg. We have yet to discover the kind culprit who crept into our chicken coup by the moonlight of Christmas Eve. The same Evening I spent running through the back yard with Sleigh bells draped over my shoulders and a red light on the end of a long stick.
The shortest day of the year. For us this means that the day darkens around four in the afternoon - just a half hour after Zoe gets home from school. The evenings are lit up by Chritmas lights. Our little house is filled with family, Wayne and Elena are visiting us for a few weeks, and we are all waiting in anticipation of Christmas. We are spending a good deal of time around the fire in the evening, finishing Christmas gifts and watching movies the Larsen's have brought with them. Its a together time of the year, witht he dark creeping in early and staying late, and the thermometer dipping down to 2 degrees last night, it seems appropriate that we should all gather together, as it has been for thousands of years. On the other side of things, however, is Wayne's cut off from email. His computer lacks a modem and so he cannot access his email with it - he is dealing with it valiantly. Our grey cat Madison refuses to take refuge on the mudporch , she instead spends a great deal of time balled up on her haunches on the railing outside. The chickens, too, are on strike. They don't know quite what to think of the 9 inches of snow we received a few days ago, all but the biggest and hardiest are staying in the coup. I have broken trail with the cross country skies through the fields in the back. It was so cold this morning that the river was steaming, and the vapors were turning to crystals on the branches near by. When I entered Zoe's room this morning she was staring at her window where the sun was lighting up the heavy frost on her window, she pointed out animals found etched in the designs.
Just past the four corners and past the library, railroad tracks pass through the village. Though the train no longer stops here, the station still stands – and an old caboose is a store that sells crystals and rocks. Sometimes, late at night, I am still surprised to hear what I think is thunder, and then I hear the whistle of the train as it nears the crossing. Tonight the season was started with the arrival of the Christmas Train. The Canadian Pacific train starts in Pennsylvania and makes it was up through the Hudson and Champlain valley. It comes through West Chazy late at night, just before 11:00 pm, with colored lights on all the cars. Its always too late for the girls, but every year a small crowd gathers in the cold night air and waves at Santa as he calls out “Merry Christmas” from the caboose, and welcome the Christmas season.
